The explorer in me found herself embarking on a voyage
down the memory lane when the topic ‘Smelly To Smiley!’ was posed...

Tea- Made in a huge
vessel in the palatial home of my Paternal Grandparents joint-family, the aromatic
smell of Tea reached the Living-Room though the kitchen is nearly half a
kilometre away! I used this as an example to explain the concept of
Diffusion in Science to my kid!

Grandma's Cupboards- with Ironed Clothes

Notice the Year of Manufacture- 1952!

Grandma -
My Paternal Grandmother was extremely brand-loyal. She'd only use- Colgate Toothpaste, Rexona Soap,
Emami Cream & Shringaar Kumkum. I loved the rich smell as
she applied red Kumkum on her
forehead as Bindi, the size of which
was double the size of a present Rs 2 coin! Her Cupboards still have the smell of freshly-ironed-clothes. Just like my mind, they store her memories…

Turmeric- Perks me up
as I remember playing games in my Paternal Grandfather’s huge godown filled
with sacks of Turmeric! We had to wash our yellow hands and feet after playing
there!

Raghu's DahiVada-Aludum, Cuttack

DahiVada-Aludum

Curd- My Maternal Grandfatherwould travel about a 100 kilometres
just to get DahiVada-Aludum for us
from Cuttack from a very famous vendor named Raghu.

And also sweets and
snacks from all the places he visited!

Granny - Herentire courtyard was filled with
cut-fruits and vegetables that she had put in the sun to dry, to prepare
varieties of Pickles. In the afternoon, when
the elders had their siesta, it was fun-afternoon-party-time for me and my
cousins as we gorged on the spicy treats…! We plucked and ate fresh Fruits directly from the trees- Mango, Guava,
Jack-fruit, Custard-Apple... in her huge
Orchard. We used to call all the hawkers passing by. We would be richer with
oven-fresh Bakery products like buns, biscuits and
cakes!

Mom- Miss my Mom’s Maachha Besara (Odia* Dish- Fried fish in
Mustard Oil & Mustardpaste gravy). Also the warm-Mustard Oil-with-Garlic-massage to heal my cold! The smell of Coconut Oil reminds me of the hours she spent
oiling and plaiting my hair… Sandalwood,Incense, Camphor, Ghee, Talcum Powder and Fragrant Soaps
all remind me of my Mom, who loved these. My Mom was an angel who looked radiant
& smelled fresh at all times of the day. God loved her and took her away last
year so that she could spread her radiance and fragrance in His Home…

Books, Newspapers and Magazines- Mountains of subscribed copies ready to cast their wisdom spells & smells! Papa is all set to burn the midnight oil when he returns from his frequent business trips. In his CA firm, there are piles of
files and a huge library of books. There's another big library at home too! Each New Year, Papa gifts us new Calendar and Diaries- their smells ring in new
hopes, aspirations and easy-to-make-but-hard-to-maintain-resolutions!

Paint- The can of leftover
paint in my home reminds me of the litres of paint I personally bought to get
our new flat painted! My hubby was away abroad, while I was juggling my office,
kid and home! As I had never purchased paint before, the smell of paint signifies my giant leap- charting new
territories and exploring the unknown like crossing seas!

Writing about smells has made me hungry. I decide to have a snack- ‘Ah! I can have
the Jagannath Temple’s Gaja’ (a sweet)! As I open the air-tight container where
it is stored, the Gaja’s smell takes
me on a free trip to the -Lord JagannathTemple, Puri, Odisha!

Gaja

Lord Jagannath Temple, Puri

What’s more, I
recollect the other associated memories!

Having the
Gaja now makes me feel blessed.

Nothing can beat the taste and smell
of the divine Mahaprasad(called Abhada) served there that unites people It is said that Goddess MahaLakshmi (the wife of Lord
Jagannath) herself cooks there- in the largest kitchen in the world.

Abhada

Mahaprasad, Lord Jagannath Temple

Perfumes- The
fragrance of my large collection makes me fall in love with my husband a little
more everyday! Over the years, he has gifted me my enviable Perfume-collection!
Each bottle tells a story, associating itself with a country or trip...